A Year of Bliss
by arc.black
Summary: Silence. Two long strides, and James gathered his wife in his arms. Though he would rather die than admit it, he was scared too. [Lily and James have a year left to live. Of course, they don't know that yet]
1. Butter Cookies and Scary Marshmellows

"Oh, bloody hell," James whispered.

Sirius looked up from his book. "It's Lily who's having the baby, not you," he said, frowning.

"Yes, but – oh, you're too immature," James snapped. "Leave me alone."

Sirius pouted. "Well," Remus interjected carefully. "It's not like you're going to be having a baby any time soon."

"Oh, Christ, of course he's not going to be having a baby!" James roared. "He's a _guy_!"

"Thank you for that clarification," Sirius said quietly. "Where's Wormtail, anyway?"

"Helping himself to more of those butter cookies they had at the reception," Remus said quickly.

"And Lily is in there in extreme pain and hating everybody," James finished, and slumped into a chair.

"Good, now that we know where everybody is…let's...PARTY!" Sirius yelled.

"Not. Really," James growled through gritted teeth.

"Hello! I am the scary marshmellow!" Peter said, happily chewing on a biscuit.

"Christ al-fucking- mighty, would you just _shut up,_" Sirius said, unimpressed.

Peter had the grace to look hurt. "How's Lily doing?" he asked timidly.

"She's doing fine," Remus said. "Absolutely fine." He put a hand on James' shoulder. "I think you'll have a child in about half an hour."

"What? I'm completely unprepared! Do you think I should go commit suicide, or something?" James wailed.

Sirius groaned. "Is that a question? How about the fact that _Lily is having the baby, not you?_ Perhaps we should take that fact into consideration, eh?" James frowned. Lily's muffled scream was heard.

"Oh, God," James breathed, and passed out. Remus rolled his eyes. Peter went to get more cookies. Sirius started reading _Seventeen_.


	2. Deformed Pumpkins

**Meanwhile, in the operating room…**

Lily tossed and turned on the bed, twisting in pain. "Shh, honey," said the Healer, whose name was Joycelyn. "Stop moving...everything is going to be fine."

"Easy for you to say," Lily muttered under her breath. "You don't have something the size of a deformed pumpkin coming out of a hole the size of a - ouch." Remus entered quietly.

"Oh, great," Lily moaned. "Hello, Remus."

Remus' lips twitched in a half-smile. "Pron – I mean, James was right," he commented.

"What did that arrogant idiot say?" Lily snapped, despite her harsh tone, smiling.

"Well, he said that you were in pain and hating everybody, Remus said, grinning broadly now. He looked up at the Healer. "Healer Joycelyn? I would suggest technique 506 tyran…"

"Mm…" Joycelyn said, eyeing Remus with interest.

"What the fuck is that?" Lily spat, still in obvious pain. Remus' eyebrows shot up.

"Oh my God!" he pretended to squeal. "Lily swore! I'm going to have to tell Prongs," and he ran out of the room.

"It's a relaxation technique," Joycelyn said gently. "Now, breathe honey. Breathe with me." Lily snarled, and then all the color drained from her face.

"Oh God-"

A/N – and I will leave the rest of the grisly truth to you doctors…


	3. The Deformed Pumpkin in Born

A/N – sorry for all the swearing, and all the Christian oaths…can't be helped, they're the Marauders, you know. Do whatever they please, those chaps. And thank you to Nemiflower and bellatrixez powerz for reviewing! I made these other chappys 4 them. . Now, on with the story!

James was thudding his head against the wall, and stopped to look at Remus expectantly.

"Er…ten minutes to go. She's absolutely fine," Remus said awkwardly. Then, "Guess what? Prongs, your wife said the 'f' word!"

Sirius caught on. "Jesus Christ!" he screamed, and passed out. Peter entered, chewing on yet more butter cookies.

"What are we doing here, again?" he asked. James commenced banging his head against the wall again.

"Lily's having her baby," Remus explained patiently. They heard another gut - wrenching scream from the op room.

"Oh, Christ," James whispered. Sirius sat up, and everyone looked at him. "I thought you had passed out," James said bitterly.

"Nah, that got boring. Oh yeah! Tracin said, sorry she couldn't be here, she's on patrol duty for Inferi. And Sylvia is at school, but sends her best wishes, and Katie is here. So, now that we know where everybody is…let's…"

"Don't even think about it!" James warned.

"Too late," Sirius said. "But for your sake, Prongs, old pal, I will not voice my splendid idea." Remus smiled. A very harried looking Healer stumbled out of the room.

"Your baby is born, Mr. Potter. And your wife is fine. They are both doing beautifully. "

Everyone looked at James. James looked at everyone. Then he passed out for real, with a noise that can only be described as, "Meep."


	4. Bad Dreams

James sat up, frowning. In his dream, he had fainted because of something…what was it? He scowled at the pain in the back of his head. He had obviously hit it on something very hard, or he had a hangover. The former was the most probable, because you weren't allowed alcohol when you were in a hospital.

Why had he been in the hospital in the first place, though?

It seemed like a nightmare of screams, pumpkins, parties and butter cookies. What a weird and random assortment of things. Well, after all, James Potter, he told himself, getting out of bed. Your life is pretty weird and random.

He turned around. There was Lily. "Hello, love," she said happily.

"Um, er, hello. What is that you're holding?" he asked awkwardly. Suddenly the bad dream was coming back to him, more real then ever.

"It's your baby, James. It's your child," Lily replied softly.

James gaped. "My fucking WHAT!"

"Watch your language around the baby," Lily scolded sharply.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "Um, I'll go…and um…" Lily smiled as he loped out the doorway.

Suddenly she giggled. "Your daddy acts like a kid sometimes," she murmured to the yet unnamed baby.


	5. The Pumpkin is Christened

"I solemnly christen you…er…what are we going to name the baby, Lily?" James paced around their room, frowning in concentration.

"James?" Remus ventured.

"Edward?" suggested Peter.

"Sirius?" quipped Sirius.

"Narcissist," James snapped playfully. "Tracin, what do you say?"

"Hmm….what was the name of that hamster you cried about? Ah, yes. Harry." Tracin tied her long hair back, and tried to suppress a grin.

"James had a hamster?" Syliva, Remus' girlfriend, gaped.

"You named your HAMSTER HARRY?" Sirius said incredulously.

"Yes," Lily murmured. "Harry." She stroked the baby's face lovingly. "Harry James Potter."

"HE NAMED HIS HAMSTER HARRY JAMES POTTER?" Sirius nearly screamed. Everybody rolled their eyes.

"Google," said the baby, newly named Harry. Lily kissed his forehead, and Harry laughed. What bliss. To think that in a year it would be shattered.

A/N: okay. For some reason, I cannot write long chapters…I can, but then they get kinda boring…sorry, I know I took ages to update!


	6. Worries

"So, James? I'm going to buy the cream curtains, okay?" Lily gathered up diapers and stuffed them into her bag.

James frowned, not looking up from his newspaper. "I liked the blue ones better."

"Yes," Lily said patiently, "but they'll clash with the cherry wood cabinet."

"Mm," said James observantly. Checking that she had everything, Lily hurriedly brushed her hair out of her face. James turned a page of the newspaper. Looking at the clock, Lily realized something.

"James!" she whispered, her face suddenly taking on an expression of pure terror. "Tracin and Sirius aren't here yet!"

This time James looked up. "And so?" he asked, trying to not to sound like it was a big deal.

"What if something happened to them? It's already been twenty minutes!" wringing her hands, she nearly reached the point of hysterical as her mind supplied the images. "James – James – "

James' stood up, the newspaper crinkling unnoticed to the ground. "Lily, they're fine – "

"How do you know?"

"They're both qualified Aurors – "

"So were the Prewett brothers!"

Silence. Two long strides, and James gathered his wife in his arms. Though he would rather die than admit it, he was scared too. "Lily…"

"…"

"Lily, look at me. Tracin and Sirius are fine," he said calmly, praying his words were accurate.

"But, they might've – "

James put a finger to her lips, and held her closer. "I…" his breath caught in his throat. "I'm scared too." There you go, he was dead. But he'd suffered a lot worse for Lily.

A loud bang from the doorway disturbed their peaceful vigil. Startled, they looked up.

"Oops," said Sirius, grinning devilishly. "Did I interrupt something?"

Tracin smiled mischievously. "We'll just be going," she said, wrapping an arm around Sirius' waist. "Where's Harry?" she added, totally contradicting her previous statement.

"In his room." Lily wiped at the tears in her eyes. Tracin immediately went in search of her nephew.

Sirius caught her by the chin. "James mistreating you, my dear?" he smirked.

"Quite the opposite," Lily said, smiling, and slapped Sirius' hand away playfully.

"Now, Sirius, on the other hand, has a _lot _to answer for," Tracin said, emerging from the bedroom with Harry in her arms. "He gave me this bruise." She lifted up her sleeve to reveal a small purple bruise above her elbow.

"That was an accident," Sirius protested. James slung an arm over his shoulders.

"Ah, these women," he said dramatically.

"Bane of our lives, eh?" Sirius returned.

"And that is why you love us so much," Lily said, taking her child from Tracin.

"You'd best be going, then," Tracin said, clapping her hands. Harry blinked.

"You're right. See you, and thanks for taking care of Harry…" James pulled on his jacket. Lily picked up her purse and straightened her skirt. James offered her arm to her, which she took, and they walked out the door.


End file.
